BELGRADE, Serbia, May 6 (UPI) -- Serbian gas officials expect to sign on to a deal for the South Stream natural gas pipeline in the coming days, the Serbian energy minister said.
Petar Skundric said Serbian gas company Srbijagas and Russian energy monopoly Gazprom expected to make the final arrangements on the pipeline through southeastern Europe soon, the Beta news agency reports.
Skundric did not offer specifics beyond noting both companies would move to form a joint venture to manage the South Stream leg through Serbia.
Bulgaria, for its part, had moved on the South Stream project with its Russian partners in April following a two-day energy summit in Sofia.
South Stream would carry about 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to European markets each year along a route passing through the Balkans.
South Stream had faced economic obstacles amid the global recession, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said South Stream would progress regardless.
